Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called on the House to vote down the D.C. CRIMES Act when it is considered on the House floor tomorrow. The bill would remove D.C.’s authority to increase or decrease criminal penalties for violations of its own local laws and could be construed to prevent D.C. from establishing any new crimes in the future. Passage and enactment would be the most substantial rollback of D.C.’s authority to govern itself in 30 years.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of tomorrow’s anti-D.C. home rule Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR) hearing, titled “Oversight of D.C.’s Response to Unlawful Activity and Antisemitism,” Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the current Republican preoccupation with grandstanding to score political points at D.C.’s expense must end. Tomorrow’s hearing will be the eighth anti-DC hearing – the fifth in COR – held by House Republicans this Congress, none of whom were elected to represent D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill today to prohibit the Secretary of the Army from finalizing or implementing any rule that would restrict public access to the Washington Channel in the District of Columbia. A proposed rule that would have established a permanent restricted area in the Channel adjacent to Fort McNair, specifically impacting recreation and commerce in the Wharf and Navy Yard neighborhoods, was withdrawn in 2022 after community members expressed overwhelming opposition.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a resolution expressing support for the designation of May 1, 2024, as “D.C. Statehood Day” and calling for statehood for the District through enactment of her Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to address several retirement issues for several categories of workers who used to be under the District of Columbia retirement system. First, the service of some employees from 1987-1997 who participated in D.C.’s defined contribution plan and were transferred to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) had those ten years of service not fully counted for the amount of their annuity. The bill would allow those employees to buy into the FERS annuity amount from those ten years, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they should be entitled.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the process for applying to her office for Community Project Funding, formerly known as earmarks, for fiscal year 2025 (FY25). For a Community Project Funding request to be considered, eligible entities must submit an application by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th to NortonCommunityProjectFunding@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her bill to rename Rock Creek Park as "Rock Creek National Park," which would acknowledge the importance of the park for the nation, visitors, tourists, and its central place for District of Columbia residents. Norton said this name would highlight Rock Creek Park as one of the nation's great historic parks, along with national parks such as Yosemite and Sequoia National Park. Rock Creek is the nation's oldest federally managed urban park and the third oldest federal park in the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to the first 13 African American officers in the United States Navy, known as the “Golden 13.” In 1944, 16 African American men completed training courses to become officers and passed their exams. Only 12 were commissioned as officers and a 13th was made a chief warrant officer, with no reason given by the Navy for why the remaining three did not receive the commissions they had earned.